If everyone who says, ‘Lord, Lord,’ would be a true Christian, then the world surely would be very different.
Oh, undeniably, a lot is being done.
Enormous revival campaigns are being organized to spread the gospel; healers and prophets advertise their meetings in all sorts of commercials; large amounts of mails pour in, to be answered very ‘personally’ by computers. The healers are so busy, that the laying on of hands for healing is even done by internet.
A lot of this is done in the name of Jesus Christ, but the Bible says that despite this, the wickedness will increase. The Bible is forcefully quoted and applied as divine truth, but Jesus says that in spite of this, the hearts on the inside may be full of hypocrisy and wickedness (Matthew 23:28).
Faith has never been an outside matter, but in our day it will become so more and more. For everywhere around us, we see the word of God is losing authority, and human commands and teachings are gaining influence, resulting in the characteristic sign that the love of most grows cold. No, not the ‘I love you’ of the songs, but the unselfish love God has poured out into our hearts (Romans 5:5).
People who impressively wave their bibles, but not bow down under the authority of God themselves, are wicked (Psalm 50:16,17). Jesus says that the wicked will be successful. He does not deny that they will do great things (:22), but He will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!’
What a call from our Lord to obey not a doctrine, but Himself with all our hearts!